Chapter 167 Peace and Happiness
East City.
The Yifengxuan specializes in business with the nobility. As soon as Ming Yuji got off the car, the shopkeeper came up to him and greeted him warmly: "Hello, Madam Ming. Please come in quickly."
Ming Yuji simply responded, walked quickly into the store, and said, "I heard that your store has recently received a new batch of red sandalwood. Is the painting table I want ready?"
The shopkeeper's smile faltered for a moment, then he said with a smile, "Not yet. Madam Ming, please wait a little longer. Good wood needs to be polished slowly, so the work will not be completed quickly."
"I've been waiting here for half a year. If I wait any longer, I won't be able to catch the wedding." Ming Yuji said as she saw the waiter bring out a table from the back, which was exactly the style she wanted. Ming Yuji exclaimed, "Isn't this already ready?"
The shopkeeper was embarrassed and winked at the waiter: "Madam Ming, you are wrong. This is ordered by Princess Anle's mansion."
Ming Yuji understood immediately. Her face turned cold. She looked at the shopkeeper coldly and said, "The shopkeeper is doing business. I should not interfere with what he does and with whom he does it. But everything has a first come first served order. I ordered this painting table. Even if the shopkeeper wants to keep the distinguished customer, the patterns and shells on the painting table are exactly the same as the drawings I gave. Shopkeeper, is this just a coincidence?"
Ming Huashang's wedding day was getting closer and closer. As she liked painting, Ming Yuji ordered a custom painting table for her. She personally selected the wood, shape, craftsmanship, and the decorative shells. Ming Yuji spent a lot of time on this table, so she was very sure that the one that Yu Fengxuan brought out was the one she ordered.
It is naturally different from ordinary furniture because it was made with so much thought. This painting table has a simple shape but exquisite details. It is elegant and generous, and quite Zen. The people in Princess Anle's mansion fell in love with it at first sight.
Princess Anle was a well-known figure in Chang'an. In order to please Princess Anle, the shopkeeper of Yifengxuan gave away the custom-made table as a favor and even tried to trick Ming Yuji into thinking that it was not ready.
If they hadn't happened to meet today, Ming Yuji would have really been deceived by them.
The shopkeeper was exposed in front of him and felt very embarrassed. But he quickly regained his composure and said calmly: "I'm sorry, Madam Ming, but Princess Anle likes it, and I can't let her down. I hope you will understand. Please wait a moment, I will ask the craftsman to hurry up and make yours."
The shopkeeper said it simply, but the implication was clear enough. Princess Anle's preferences were more important, and if the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion was unhappy, there was nothing that could be done.
Even if you use your toes to think, you can understand that one is the emperor's biological daughter, and the other is his nephew who will threaten his throne. It is self-evident which one the emperor will favor.
Moreover, Princess Anle was not an ordinary favored princess. She was born on the way of exile of the emperor and Empress Wei, and was delivered by the emperor himself. She had been with the emperor and Empress Wei through life and death, and shared hardships. She was the only comfort for the emperor when he was in low spirits, and her significance to the emperor was far more extraordinary. Dynasty.
Her father was the emperor, her mother was the empress, her father-in-law was the King of Liang, the only heir to the Zhou Wu faction, and her husband was the crown prince of the King of Liang. She was also young but held great power. She was very important both politically and personally.
This is also the reason why the shopkeeper of Yifengxuan dared to openly offend the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. At least during the emperor's lifetime, Princess Yong could not be more favored than Princess Anle. Even if the situation changes after the next emperor takes office, it will be at least ten years later. Who can predict what the situation will be like by then? The ready-made benefits are the most practical. It is a sure win to use Princess Yong's things to please Princess Anle.
Ming Yuji saw the contempt behind the shopkeeper's gift, and said with cold eyes, "It seems that the shopkeeper is determined to offend the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion?"
The shopkeeper said he dared not, but someone from Princess Anle's residence came and asked impatiently before they even entered the house, "Are the things ready? Why are you taking so long?"
"Here they come!" The shopkeeper immediately put on a smiling face, left Ming Yuji behind, and went over followed to try to get close to the people in Princess Anle's mansion. The maid who Ming Yuji out was very angry and said angrily, "You are looking down on others. You are really going too far."
Ming Yuji silently clenched her fists. If it were in the past, she would never let anyone take away something even if she smashed it, but now she is no longer Su Yuji, she is the eldest lady of the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion, and the elder sister of Princess Yong.
People at the bottom can solve problems with fists, but the higher you get, the more useless force becomes. Ming Yuji is not afraid of his reputation being damaged, but Ming Huashang is different. She will have to live with the Li family for a long time in the future. If Ming Yuji makes a fuss, how will Ming Huashang deal with it when she meets Princess Anle in the future?
Ming Yuji was angry for a long time, but finally decided to put the overall situation first. She turned her head and said to the maids in a cold voice, "Let's go."
Ming Yuji scowled as she quickly passed through the crowd, her face as cold as frost as she walked out. The moment she stepped over the threshold, a green shadow landed beside her and spoke loudly, "Everything has a first come, first served. Princess Anle is so indulgent to her servants to do whatever they want? How is your behavior different from that of the two Zhang brothers?"
Ming Yuji's eyes widened and he turned around in surprise, only to see Su Xingzhi standing beside him, looking stern, ruthless and upright like a judge in a temple.
The steward of Princess Anle's mansion was enjoying the flattery, but suddenly someone interrupted him, which made him feel quite unhappy: "Who are you? How can you be in charge of the affairs of Princess Anle's mansion?"
Su Xingzhi bowed slightly to them and said solemnly: "I am Su Xingzhi, the Supervisor of the Historic Bureau. I am just a commoner and dare not offend the royal family, but if I encounter injustice on the road, I can still intervene."
When the people in Princess Anle's mansion heard Su Xingzhi's identity, their faces dimmed. If it was any other official, they wouldn't dare to say anything to Princess Anle, but if it was Yu Shitai's stinking stone, then it would be troublesome.
The officials supervised the officials, and were in charge of the criminal law and corrected the crimes of the officials. The more noble the officials were, the more severe their impeachment would be. The steward seemed to know nothing.
But so what? Their master is Princess Anle, the only child of Queen Wei. The emperor now listens to Queen Wei's words and allows the Queen to participate in government affairs. Officials below the third rank are all decided by Queen Wei alone. Queen Wei may be the next empress, so Princess Anle should compare herself to Princess Taiping in every way.
No, Princess Anle has no brothers, but the Crown Princess does the same. She is even more glorious than Princess Taiping.
Even the prime minister is a seventh-rank official. They are the future crown princess's confidants. Why should they be afraid of a little Princess Yong? The steward didn't take it seriously and still pretended to be stupid and said, "I don't know how Su Shi came and neglected us. However, the princess has been interested in painting recently, so we came out to find a desk to share her worries. The shopkeeper of Yifengxuan took the initiative to present the treasure after knowing it. We didn't steal or rob. I don't know where we violated the law and have to trouble Su Shi to worry about it?"
The people from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion looked indignant when they heard this. Ming Yuji originally thought that Princess Anle's Mansion was unaware of the truth, but now it seems that they clearly knew everything, yet they still tried to provoke the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, or rather, Prince Yong's Mansion.
Ming Yuji glanced at these people coldly and memorized the faces of these evil slaves. She didn't want to argue with a few villains on the street. Her own affairs were minor. If it was implicated by Li Huazhang and someone took the opportunity to vent his anger, it would be troublesome. Ming Yuji lowered her voice and said to Su Xingzhi, "Forget it, let's go."
She wanted to go down the stairs, but Su Xingzhi pulled her back. Su Xingzhi held her arm, still looking at the servants of Princess Anle's mansion with dignity, and said: "Yi Fengxuan is willing to donate treasures to Princess Anle, and outsiders should not say anything, but if you embezzle other people's things to do favors, it is stealing. Madam Ming and Yi Fengxuan had a contract before, and Yi Fengxuan went back on his word, which was distrust; the whole city knew that Madam Ming and Prince Yong were married, and Madam Ming said that this was the dowry prepared for her sister, and the princess "The mansion still insisted on encroaching on the dowry of the prince's wife, which is unfilial; finally, you all heard Madam Ming introduce herself. You clearly know that she was forced to be separated from her family for 17 years in order to protect Prince Yong, but you have no respect for her. You took advantage of the kindness of the madam and took advantage of it. This is simply unkind and unjust. I will write a letter tomorrow to ask the emperor why he allowed Princess Anle to act like this. "
Su Xingzhi had actually been here for a while and heard everything about the dispute between Ming Yuji and Yi Fengxuan. He watched Ming Yuji endure it again and again and then leave in anger, and he felt a sharp pain in his heart.
His Yu Ji was tough and strong-willed, outspoken, and dared to wield a wooden stick to beat up hooligans at the age of 14, but Su Xingzhi knew that she was the softest of the bunch. He watched her grow from a cradle to a graceful young woman, and she should always be aggressive and should not learn to swallow her anger and compromise. Su Xingzhi could no longer bear it, and for the first time he stepped out of the shadows and appeared in front of her.
Ming Yuji was shocked enough when she saw Su Xingzhi, and when she heard him blaming Princess Anle, she became even more anxious.
Is he stupid? They are from the Duke of Zhenguo Mansion. With the merit of protecting Li Huazhang, no matter how suspicious the palace is, they dare not do anything to them. But what does Su Xingzhi have? How can he, a poor scholar without a family, have the courage to criticize the emperor's daughter?
Seeing more and more people gathered around, Ming Yuji looked unhappy and wanted to pull Su Xingzhi away. But Su Xingzhi's hand was very strong and he held Ming Yuji tightly without moving.
Yu Shitai was indeed a professional at scolding people. He accused him of being benevolent, righteous, polite, and trustworthy. The stewards of Princess Anle's mansion were all frightened. He was originally fearless, but as more and more people pointed out his faults, he couldn't help but panic.
The Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion was not a big deal, but Prince Yong could not offend them casually. If this matter became a big deal and was brought to the court by this stinking stone, and the Queen and the Princess investigated, he would be in big trouble!
The steward was frightened, but he put on a smile and said, "Su Yushi is too serious. I didn't know that this was the dowry prepared by Madam Ming for Princess Yong. If I had known in advance, I would definitely not have dared to steal her love. How can you do things? How dare you use Princess Yong's things to fool people? I think you are deliberately trying to sow discord between Prince Yong and Princess Anle. You should be killed!"
The shopkeeper Yi Fengxuan's knees went weak, and he knelt on the ground to beg for mercy. The royal family said that they were ready to punish him, but it was not a scare tactic. Princess Anle could kill their entire family with just a flick of her finger. The shopkeeper begged for mercy for a long time, but the manager of Princess Anle's mansion remained unmoved. It seemed that he was determined to push him as a scapegoat. The shopkeeper was heartbroken. At this time, he saw Ming Yuji standing outside, and he knelt over as if he had found a life-saving straw, and said, "Madam Ming, please spare my life! I am blind and do not know the real reason. My death is not a pity, but there are still many old and young people in my family who depend on me for their livelihood. I hope you will show mercy!"
Ming Yuji grew up among the common people. She had seen how powerless the common people were in front of the officials. She was not used to being made to kneel. She stepped back and said coldly, "Your behavior is immoral, and it has nothing to do with me. I have something else to do in the mansion. I'll leave first. Excuse me."
Ming Yuji hesitated for a moment, but still signaled the maid to take the painting case and leave. If she didn't take the painting case, it would mean that she didn't forgive the festival, and the shopkeeper would be in trouble. It was just a painting case, and since it was a wedding gift, it was unlucky to be stained with blood.
When the shopkeeper of Yufengxuan saw Ming Yuji accept the painting case, he heaved a sigh of relief. The steward of the Princess's Mansion also relaxed his shoulders a little. He had come out happily to collect money, but he encountered such a bad thing. He felt unlucky and kicked the shopkeeper in disgust, saying, "Get out of the way. Don't block my way."
The shopkeeper quickly rolled and crawled aside, and smiled as he escorted the steward out. Su Xingzhi watched this scene coldly, and he turned and walked down the stairs, catching up with the steward of the Princess's Mansion and the shopkeeper of Yufengxuan in just two steps.
As the two passed each other, Su Xingzhi looked ahead calmly and said to someone, "Boss, it takes hundreds of years for a tree to grow. You are in a long-term business. It is not wise to break your promise and be eager for quick success. I hope you respect yourself."
After he finished speaking, without even looking at the other two people's reactions, he quickly walked down the stairs and disappeared into the crowd.
Su Xingzhi blended into the crowd, like a drop of water merging into the sea, and soon he could not be found. This was what he was best at doing, but today, although he had clearly not left any trace, he was stopped by a car at the entrance of the alley.
The tassels on the carriage swayed gently in the wind, and it was obvious that the carriage had come here specially to wait for the arrival of the train. The curtain of the carriage was opened, revealing a beautiful woman with a cold and frosty face behind her.
This was someone he was extremely familiar with, yet had nothing to do with him.
Ming Yuji looked down at him, raised his eyebrows slightly, and said with a hint of sarcasm: "It's been a long time since we last met. Historian Su Yu has become much more powerful."
Su Xingzhi saluted the forklift driver as if he had not heard her sarcasm. He did not show the coldness and hardness that had just been in his argument with the scholars: "Madam Ming, be well."
He had no temper at all, and Ming Yuji felt like he had punched cotton, and suddenly felt that all those provocations were meaningless. Ming Yuji was frustrated and asked stiffly: "I sent you an invitation, why didn't you come?"
"I'm busy, I don't have time."
"I'd like you to have dinner at the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion after the court session. Don't you have time?"
Su Xingzhi lowered his eyes and said, "I am a historian, and I have been too close to the court officials in private, which is not good."
Ming Yuji stared at him coldly. Su Xingzhi stood there expressionless like a block of wood. Ming Yuji looked at him and wanted to punch him in the face. Ming Yuji sneered and said angrily, "Oh, you dare to refuse Princess Yong's invitation in the future. Lord Su is really fearless of the powerful and has a noble character."
Su Xingzhi's eyelashes twitched, wanting to say something, but felt it was unnecessary.
Whether it was Princess Yong or Princess Taiping, it was easy to reject their invitations, but what was really difficult was to reject her.
Ming Yuji got angry when he didn't say anything, and asked unhappily, "Why, now you don't even want to listen to me?"
"No." Su Xingzhi said, "You are the daughter of a noble family, and I am just a commoner. You don't need me to listen to your words."
Ming Yuji paused for a long time and asked, "If that's the case, why did you look for me all night when I left the Su family?"
"Because you are a woman, and a very strong woman at that. It's not safe for you to be alone outside."
"Then why are you breaking up with me now?"
"Because you are home." Su Xingzhi lowered his eyes and said, "You are accompanied by your family and protected by servants. You are safe."
Ming Yuji wanted to ask, what do you think of me as? A sister, a responsibility, or a young lady from a noble family who was fostered in the Su family and needed his attention?
Ming Yuji almost blurted out these words, but her reason pulled her back. She lowered the curtain, straightened her back, and placed her hands flat on her knees, like a most iconic lady from a noble family. She asked gracefully, "Why did you help me just now?"
There were two of them, one inside and one outside, one on top and one below, one sitting in an ancient and elegant carriage and the other standing on the bustling street.
Just like their rift, born with them, they follow each other like a shadow. Su Xingzhi raised his eyes slightly, looked at the silhouette of the woman behind the curtain, and said, "I am a historian. When I see injustice, I speak up for justice. It is my duty."
"My duty is here." Ming Yuji repeated the four words slowly and laughed briefly. "My duty is here. Okay. You also said that I have my family to accompany me and servants to protect me. There will be many men to stand up for me in the future. I don't need an outsider like you to intervene. Su Yushi, I have something else to do. Bye."
As she spoke, she raised her voice and said to the driver in a clear voice, "Uncle Yang, go home."
The driver responded, and the carriage started slowly. The wheels creaked as they rolled over the stone slabs, and the rumble seemed to drown out all the noise in the world. Su Xingzhi took a step back, watching Ming Yuji walk away from him, and whispered inaudibly, "Be careful on the road."
He finished speaking and laughed at himself. Why did he need to say such things? As she said, she was surrounded by many nobles and sons, and there were people to protect her safety.
After Ming Yuji returned home, she walked very fast with a cold face, and the maid had to jog to keep up with her. Ming Huashang had just finished embroidering a sachet and was waiting in Ming Yuji's room excitedly. She heard a noise outside and ran out to greet him, and ran into Ming Yuji's face, which was not good at all. Ming Huashang was stunned for a moment and asked tentatively, "Sister, what's wrong with you?"
Ming Yuji took a deep breath, forced a smile, and said, "It's okay. I was delayed on the road for too long and I'm a little tired."
The maid behind her had been holding it in for a long time, and seeing this, she immediately told Ming Huashang about the matter of Yu Fengxuan. Ming Huashang's face darkened after hearing this, and she said to Ming Yuji: "Sister, is it these things that made you unhappy? How could you not tell your family about the bad things you encountered?"
"Really not." Ming Yuji sighed. She didn't want to mention Su Xingzhi. She pulled Ming Huashang to sit down and said, "They are just some little idiots. Even if I am not very successful, I won't get angry with them. What I am worried about is the situation in the court."
Speaking of this, both of them fell silent. Although their current life seemed peaceful, they both knew that this was just an illusion before the storm.
As expected, Han Jie disappeared. Although the empress abdicated and went to Shangyang Palace, no one dared to underestimate her mind and will. Perhaps Han Jie would gather the Xuanxiao Guards and make a comeback at any time. However, at such an important moment, the emperor was busy suppressing Li Huazhang, Prince Xiang, and Princess Taiping, and did not spare any effort to exclude the meritorious officials. Instead, he promoted the followers of Queen Wei and Princess Anle.
The world is a circle. Empress Wu brought endless suffering to the Li family. Everyone hated her, but everyone wanted to be like her.
However, there was only one Wu Zetian in the world. Before she proclaimed herself emperor, she had more than 20 years of experience in handling state affairs. Princess Taiping was able to cultivate a large number of party members in the court, and the premise was that she had been with Emperor Wu for several years. Empress Wei and Princess Anle had no experience in governing, no extraordinary talent, and no interest in studying. They only saw that Emperor Wu and Princess Taiping had succeeded, so they thought they could do the same. How could this be a good omen?
According to the news sent back by Xuanxiaowei, Princess Anle wanted to follow the example of Princess Taiping in cultivating talents, but there was no one to promote, so she gradually developed into selling official positions and titles. If this continued, the Tang Dynasty, which had finally recovered, would probably be in trouble again.
Ming Huashang would not be able to stay at home for much longer. Ming Yuji did not want to upset her, so she asked the maid to bring out the painting table and changed the subject, saying, "Come and see if you like it. If it is not suitable, there is still time to make a new one."
Ming Huashang did not continue with the heavy topic. She exclaimed in surprise when she saw the painting table and said with a smile, "It's so beautiful. Thank you, sister! You are really the best to me."
"Don't try that on me." Ming Yuji said with a straight face, "I'm not Li Huazhang. I won't be fooled by your sweet words."
"How can you call it fooling around!" Ming Huashang said sincerely with a wronged look on her face, "This is clearly what I really think. Even if my second brother were here, I would still say that my elder sister and I are the best in the world."
Ming Yuji suddenly looked towards the door. Ming Huashang was startled and turned back quickly, only to find that the door was empty. Ming Yuji sneered and said, "Look at you, you are so indecisive, and you still dare to say that you are best friends with me?"
Ming Huashang was caught and felt quite embarrassed. The maids covered their mouths and giggled, saying, "Second Madam is great at coaxing people. No wonder she coaxed Prince Yong so much that he has to find excuses to come to the mansion every day after the court session."
"No way!" Ming Huashang was still trying to struggle, "Every word I said came from my heart, not a single word was false!"
Even Li Huazhang himself might not believe such words. Ming Yuji watched them laughing for a while, and suddenly a feeling of sadness arose in his heart.
Everything was too perfect, and she couldn't help but feel anxious. Would such beauty be fleeting? She calmed down and said to Ming Huashang, "Stop making trouble. Go and embroider your wedding dress first. You will be married in a few days."
Ming Huashang refused to leave, saying, "Second brother knows that my embroidery is not good and there are not enough patterns on the wedding dress. If he doesn't say it and I don't say it, who else would know it?"
"I've never seen anyone embroidering her own wedding dress and still falsifying it." Ming Yuji was helpless and said, "Forget it, if you don't want to embroider it, forget it. Just bring the wedding dress over."
Ming Huashang was startled and said hurriedly, "Sister, you want to help me embroider? This is not allowed."
"What are you thinking about?" Ming Yuji rolled his eyes at her. "I'm not good at embroidery either. I won't do it even if you ask me to. Of course, you should ask an embroiderer to come. You just need to sew a few simple places. I'm afraid the news will leak out, so I keep you in my room as a witness."
Ming Huashang suddenly hugged Ming Yuji tightly, smiled and said, "Sister is so nice," and then ran out to get the wedding dress. Ming Yuji looked at her from behind, feeling a little disgusted, but couldn't help but smile.
She looked up at the green leaves rustling under the eaves, and suddenly a thought came to her mind.
She thought that she must have been distracted by Ming Huashang's chattering, which was why she felt that getting married was not a bad idea.
Being able to live with the person you want is a very rare thing in itself.
Since he said she was just doing her job, then I wish him all the best and a bright future.
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